Full dark, no stars
by TLpb
Summary: What if Richard's story had minor changes ? What if a new patient was at Briarcliff ?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Full dark, no stars.

It was dark, cold, the moonbeams passing through the solely little window, lighting the wet ground of the highest room of the manor. A long time ago, it sheltered the most beautiful, the most luxurious and the biggest balls, gathering at the same time the most majestic families from the whole country. Look dear friend, the red lipstick of the hostess goes hand in hand with her dress and, at the same time, with the liquid spread on the floor. The white tile had become vermilion. Even in the death, women want to stay _à la mode_. The duchess rested peacefully in this blood bath, for eternity. Some people will qualify this of slaughter whereas I'd call it a masterpiece, kind of work of art. However, the young Richard was never able to see again his mother again since this day (or his father, who disappeared shortly before this event), he would not certainly agree with me. At least, he will keep her youth and beautiful on his mind. She won't wither, age, and dye in front of him in the course of the decades.

Loads of investigations were done, no guilty person were never arrested. It will remain in memories as the mystery of York.

The young Richard was left under the watch of his older brother, king Edouard IV, like his other brother, Clarence. For them, nothing had really changed, except the fact that they had moved on an even bigger, even more luxurious palace. But for the young Richard the boneless, it wasn't enough. Like a spoilt child, he always wanted to have more, always more. Yet, the king and his brother had nothing to care about his childish things : they met for securities investments, political alliances, … Richard is unmistakably the most intelligent of the family, it's maybe the reason why he seemed to carry no interest for having more money than he already has. All the gold of the world wouldn't be sufficient to rectify his back, put his vertebral column on the axis, replace his head between his two shoulders and not tilted to one. His own family had already tried everything, shameful that one of his members was deformed. Richard will stay forever the boneless.

In strange circumstances, Clarence was suspected og wanting bring down the king his brother, even if he hadn't shown any sign. It astounded all the court, but king couldn't take the risk of having a conspirator among his closest confidants. Hence, he had a single loyal brother left. Richard leaped from the shadows and became Edouard's counsellor. Even wiser than his elder brother, he doubled the fortune of his family. But it was not because the presumed guilty was put away that the problems stopped. Both children of Clarence were killed, their dead body was found on their respective room. It was then to Clarence's turn to die, poisoned on his own cell. Many will shriek the suicide, but Edouard didn't believe them. He was not the most intelligent of his siblings, but he knew the desire to live of his brother. His doubts shifted to his younger brother. He was the next one in the line of succession of the throne. The son of Edouard is still too young to reign. For his safety, he sent him to a boarding school far from the castle, and made Richard visit a manor, where he could give his opinion, if it was necessary to buy it or not.

Richard crossed the Atlantic to visit this manor. He inquired above. **"You know, dear reader, between 1910 and 1961, it was the biggest tuberculosis center of the East coast. Although, I think it's quite strange to buy a center with a grim story like this one, but I believe in my brother, he should have a good reason which he'll give to me when I'll be back home. He trust me, I'll do my best with this Massachusetts' thing."** The poor man hadn't understood anything of the trap which was going to close on him.

Arrived in front of the fearsome manor of red bricks, he presented himself to a blond hair none. It was specified nowhere that the manor was administered by the Catholic Church. **"Impossible that they bought the building before my family, according to Edouard everything is already concluded, or almost. My brother would never have lied to me."** The one who was named Sister Mary Eunice took Richard at the top of the manor house. He would have liked to visit the outside before making a decision, but the young woman did not seem of this opinion. Their sales technique should be seen again, they were not very welcoming. He was also stunned to find so much patients for a center close a month ago. It should have been empty and closed down, instead of that a horrible French music went back up to the staircases of the hall.

Dominique, nique, nique  
S'en allait tout simplement,

Routier pauvre et chantant.  
En tous chemins, en tous lieux,  
Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu,

Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu.

Richard heard it for the first time with recklessness, thinking of leaving the manor that very night. Unfortunately, it went wrong. When Sister Mary Eunice, accompanied by her mentor Sister Jude, took him the owner's tour, they passed in front of an empty cell. Careless, he entered on. The door closed on him. He didn't go out of it during a long, very long time.  
His brother had interned him in the quite new psychiatric asylum of Briarcliff.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

 _"When it comes to art, it's important not to hide the madness" Atticus_

Days pass and are the same for Richard. A slow agony, a kind of downhill. " **If Prometheus saw his liver being eat by an eagle every day of his eternal life because he gave the fire to Humans … Me, Richard, I can see my slow self-destruction from the inside because I wanted to help my family. Life seems definitely unfair. Ô God, don't you believe that I have not suffered enough with a physical appearance as mine ? What did I do in a former life so that you held it against me so much ? I don't have to be in an asylum, I am not insane ! You, behind your screen ! you know it right ? Tell them !"**

He learnt at his expense that the manor have been rebought a month ago and it had already built a severe reputation. All the inconceivable and unbelievable experiments were practiced here, from the electrocution to the drowning, passing by the trepanning and whippings from Sister Jude.

He didn't even know who believe. Some of them were crazy, really crazy. But other were maybe like him, abandoned because they were too cumbersome ? Despite the hope that he was going back home soon and the other hope that all of this was solely a terrible misunderstanding, Sister Jude have been clear " _Your brother know you have killed your family, be happy,he didn't sent you in the corridor of death. Here, we can still cure you despite your sins."_

He passed his days in the hall listening to the same and horrible French song about this "Dominique". He sat himself on a wood armchair, creaking at each of his movements. He was looking far ahead, dreaming about a normal life. The solely thing that he saw arrived was policemen's procession. A man with a camisole went out of a car. Briarcliff's patients were all running, some of them set on the floor, yelled and cried, while other begged guards to let them leave this place. All of them were screaming "Bloody Face".

If this name did not mean anything for Richard, for them it was byword of terror. All of them were counting his story in their own way "he massacred them and ate them" "his mother, his wife, his son" "he hung the dog" "he killed them with his own teeth" "with an axe !" "he took a bath with their blood" "remade the painting of walls". He didn't know who to believe or to not believe, but one thing is true, he was as afraid as them now. Why the hell is doing a killer on an asylum ? Well, even if Richard himself was supposed to be a killer too.

The arrived of Bloody Face did not change anything on his own life, always as cheerful as before (here, you saw some irony from me). But in the establishment, a lot of things changed. Now, each week, a new patient died or disappeared. Someone was systematically missing at the call of the Monday morning. Nobody knew anything, nobody saw anything. Nobody said anything too, but everybody was thinking. « Bloody Face ». Richard found this too easy. Suddenly a recognized killer is interned and a series of murders begin, would it not be the perfect cover for another killer ? Moreover, it's an asylum. Bloody Face can cry out his innocence as loud as he wants, nobody will believe him, and he will be whipped again. At the sight of the new stitches on his body every day, Sister Jude got new toys, all more devastating as the others.

With the series of disappearance and murders also began experiments on Richard, practiced by the doctor of Briarcliff : doctor Arden. Each visit was synonym of suffering and pain. He was persuaded of making Richard great again. He passed hours tinkering along his bones, moving them, removing them, putting them back (sometimes). It had obviously no sense for the patient, but the doctor seemed delighted.

When he saw that no progress was realized by Richard, he concluded that the problem was not physical, but mental. Thus began his first consultation with doctor Thredson.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Innocuous, Oliver Thredson always went unnoticed. To tell the truth, Richard did not even know that there was a psychiatrist in the establishment. With what he had understood, he was only here for a while, because of some unclear reasons. He had to take advantage of it to show to everyone the fact that they did a mistake, that he was only here because of a mistake and that he had nothing to no with all of those madmen.

If at the beginning the sessions were typical, it didn't persisted for long. Oliver didn't delay diving profoundly into the unconscious of his patient, and discovered secrets which Richard himself wasn't conscious of. Towards all the ethical codes, he kept his breakthroughs for him. Richard himself wasn't informed about anything, anyway he was too busy wondering where Lady Ann was.

Did I forget to tell you lady Ann's arrival ? It's possible, there are so many things I would like to relate you, you couldn't believe your ears! Well, it's not really important.

To summarize, Lady Ann could be Richard's double, in woman. She comes from a noble and wealthy family. However she has a completely normal morphology, no scoliosis. Very beautiful, she's claiming have been locked by strength and without any reason. Although she gives no reason of her confinement, Richard thinks that it's because she is too intelligent for a woman of her time, too bulky too. Quickly, she becomes her only friend, her confidante. Both speak together in the hall, trying to talk louder than Dominique's song. Richard had accommodated himself to this song, he knows every single word now.

Even if Lady Ann brought some touches of cheerfulness every single day, life still remains so hard. Arden continues his experiments always more painful, Mary Eunice invests in new whips and his sessions at the psychologist never leave him with any memory. He always emerges more tired, with an even stronger headache. Oliver seems to be falsely surprised about his amnesia, like if at the end that suited him a lot.

For her dearest friend the life was not easy either. She was suspected of homosexuality and not a lot of patients of the asylum were friendly with her. He defended her as he could but it was not really usefulness. She went to see Doctor Arden too, but she has never spoken about it. Richard doesn't want to know what he made to her either. One day, coming back from a session at Arden's office, she raised a blue on her skinny face. Richard tried to know more about it but he hadn't been able to pull out anything. A group of patients took her to task, seeing this blue as a punishment for her sin, and beat up her. All were put in isolation, even her, "in case of". She was able to get out again two days later, the others hadn't this chance. They were all found poisoned in their cell, the pale skin, bloodshot eyes. One more time, people accused Bloody Face, but nothing was proved. Tens of inquiries were led, none brought new tracks. The ideal guilty remained the same.

However, someone knew who was responsible for all of this. This man/woman was coming unnoticed, listening to the walls, noting a few things, leaving away.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

During a cold morning of hiver, Richard took his las breakfast at Briarcliff. Don't be happy so quickly thinking he'll be release after that, it's the opposite ! He was arrested by the police and judged for many crimes, even if the word "judge" is too optimistic. Thredson pointed his finger at Richard, what led the jury to herald Richard guilty. He was condemned of death by hanging. That's it.

Thredson depicted him as a smart man but hungry of power. He described his physical illness as a penalty from God Himself, without this body Richard could have obtain everything he ever desired.

This latter man disavowed everything, claimed love with all his heart his nephews and his brother, and never ever touched any Briarcliff's patient … It was already too late for him. He also tried to denounce his awful life condition and the mistreatments imposed there, but guess what, no one listened. Only Lana Winters, months later, will be able to open the world's eyes about what was going on at Briarcliff. Far too late for the poor Richard, whose fate was already sealed.

Unable to die for nothing, Richard considered all the strategies possible to get out of his jail and run away, always further. On the same time, he wanted to get Lady Ann out of Briarcliff and run with her, as Bonnie and Clyde (without being murdered, it wasn't on the plan).

Without going into annoying and useless details, Richard succeeded to convince a guard to give him the key from the lock in return of a wad of cash. This guard was not really the smartest but he was doing what people order him to do, what was a good thing for Richard. Thanks to him, he was able to get out. He tried to avoid the other guards and run as faster and farther as possible.

This plan was perfect, but it was without counting the unexpected arrival of Oliver Thredson. When he saw Richard out of jail, he didn't seem to be surprised. He had a rictus what vaguely seemed to be a smile. Richard get worry about Oliver calling the guards, but he didn't. Thredson moved over from the road and let him pass, allowing Richard to keep running. Without further ado, Richard started to run again, as fast as his asymmetrical body was allowing him. From the darkness, a voice came to his ears, one last time _"Lady Ann is dead"_. Impossible. He was lying, he doesn't want Richard to leave so he's inventing crazy thing to destabilize him. A kind of psychiatric thing, undoubtedly. It can't be true.

When he arrived on the first road seen, he started shaking his arms at the second he thought seeing some headlights. At the same time, he was walking in direction of Briarcliff. The first car he saw didn't wanted to stop, but Richard pounced himself on the road and got inside. The driver hadn't other choice than let him in. He went on the left, the driver side, asking her to go on the other seat.

First fearful, she was desperately looking for something to protect herself. Yet, Richard, as a good orator, clarified his story (well, without précising Briarcliff nor the jail, what let place to a lot of imagination from him) and the reason why he had to find back his beloved Lady Ann. Even if she stopped looking for a self-defense-thing-whatever, her face changed when she heard the name. She became with, her eyes wide-open. _"You don't know ?"_ she asked timidly. He instantly answered no, and asked her what she was talking about. _"There was one more disappearance at Briarcliff, but this time it's different. There is no mystery, they found a dead body. The poor woman hanged herself, they said she was depressive. But they added something, so maybe she's not your Lady Ann … yeah, it can't be that. They said she loves women, can you believe that !? People are strange. I forgot the name of the victim, but now I'm sure it's not her ! »_ Panicked, Richard didn't knew what to do, what to say. For the first time of his life, he had no escape route, no idea on his head. He hadn't any aïm nor desire. He lost the control of the car, for an even instant. It was brief, not even a second, he was certain about that. But it was already enough. He braked suddenly with all his strength and his XXI century's horse rolled over on several meters before ending his race on the ditch. Richard get projected in front of the car, trapped between the cold mud and the burning metal. He was dreaming about so many things, he won't even be able to dream anymore. He pronounced those few words in a last farewell and then passed away.

 **« A car ! A car ! My kingdom for a car ! »**


	5. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Now, you should be full of questions, right ? But one is deeply rooted into your mind : who the hell is the killer ? Bloody Face ? Arden ? Richard ? Thredson (if you know the tvshow, you can't avoid that doubt !) ? Or perhaps Lady Ann, Jude, Mary Eunice … ? A foreigner ?

Those few pages from Oliver's diary may help you. Psychologist and psychopath have well the same root.

" _5/13/1962 :_ _First session with Richard. Thinks get locked because of his brother. Thinks innocent. Doesn't get anything. Doesn't get used to anything. Heightened to THE music, need to go deeper. Questions about his past unclear, answers about something else, doesn't seem to get it. Need go deeper +++"_

" _6/13/1962 :_ _Questions about murders, answers with the facts only, no emotion. No sensibility. Test done with other subjects of discussion : idem. Only facts. Interesting. Confusing case. Seems intellectually healthy, body already sick. Body = mind ? "_

 _"7/13/1062 :_ _Test about Freud's psychanalysis. Need time. Asked colleagues' point of view, all don't know. Need interrogate Edouard IV but dead. Richard = Richard III now, king of York. Can't release him, need to lie. Need puts light on this."_

" _8/13/1962 :_ _Can't support Dominique's song anymore. Used this to make him talk. Went on hypnosis phase. Told his hatred about Edouard and Clarence, his need to reign. Confesses murder of Clanre + nephews. Loads of precision. Need keep him. Becomes useful."_

" _9/13/1962 :_ _Hard to see him more often. Informal sessions. I told him what he confessed but didn't believed me. Lie ? or really doesn't remember ? Impossible to say. Need to know. Need him to confess his hatred for his brothers in real."_

" _10/13/1962 :_ _Finally confesses. Memories unlocked. Don't know why, no need to know. Confesses murders at Briarcliff + those who bugged L.A . Serial killer. Need keep it secret. Need him. Following assistant."_

" _11/13/1962 :_ _Song used to unlock memory. 1 = remember 2 = forget. He's now in isolation, doesn't hear the music. Thinks he's healthy. Useful to bring me some patients for experiments then get him back into his cell."_

" _12/13/1962 :_ _Tried to rebel, don't know why. Unstable subject. Know my secret. Need to get rid of him. Denounce to the justice. Jail. Will testify against him, mad person, killer. No problem. "_

" _9/01/1963 :_ _Condemned to death. Need new assistant, woman would be easier. Lana Winters ? "_


End file.
